Melbourne had come under intense criticism during the week after recent poor performances, with talk of the Demons playing “bruise free footy”. But the Demons silenced the knockers in the only way that counts, bouncing back with a 33-point win over Essendon at the MCG on Friday night.The Demons kicked the first two goals of the game to make the early front-running, but the Bombers fought back later in the opening term to take the lead moments before quarter time. And going on with the job in the second term after Ben Howlett goaled within the first 20 seconds, the Bombers looked to be doing it comfortably. The Demons suffered a blow when Colin Sylvia went down injured, forcing them to use their sub in the first half; and even with a late fightback to the Demons, the Bombers led by seven points at the long break.Against all expectations, the game was turned on its head in the third quarter. The Demons came out running, tackling and contesting; while the Bombers slowed to a walk. With six unanswered goals for the quarter, the Demons turned their deficit into a 30-point lead, the MCG crowd finding their voice as their frustrations over their poor performances evaporated in the sniff of victory.The Demons had a sniff and weren’t letting go. The final quarter was evenly contested, four goals apiece, as the clock counted down to the Demons celebrating victory; bringing their losing streak to an end. But it was a poor performance by the Bombers, who were never in the contest after half time; and a chance to consolidate a position in the top four has gone begging. The Demons out-possessed, out-tackled and out-played the Bombers, showing greater intensity and desire than the flat Bombers.Melbourne 3.0 5.4 11.6 15.11 (101)Essendon 3.2 6.5 6.6 10.8 (68)Goals : Melbourne – B Green 4, L Jurrah 3, N Jetta 2, B Moloney 2, C Sylvia, J Watts, T Scully, J Howe. Essendon – P Ryder 2, J Melksham, B Stanton, K Hardingham, B Howlett, D Hille, A Monfries, D Zaharakis, S Crameri.Best : Melbourne – B Moloney, J McKenzie, J Gysberts, J Trengove, J Macdonald, T Scully. Essendon – J Melksham, B Howlett, S Longeran, A Monfries, B Stanton, D Myers.Injuries : Melbourne – C Sylvia (corked right quad). Essendon – Nil.Substitutions : Melbourne - C Sylvia replaced by D Nicholson in the second quarter. Essendon -T Bellchambers replaced by A Browne in the third quarter.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Donlon, Rosebury, Mollison.Crowd - 53,077 at MCG.

Fortress Kardinia Park claimed another victim, the Cats winning their 26th successive game at the venue; doing it easily with a 61-point win over the Western Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon.Daniel Giansiracusa gave the Bulldogs a solid start, marking and goaling twice to give the Bulldogs an early 12-point lead. But as the game passed the 10 minute mark, Nathan Vardy on the wing flew high and brought the crowd into raptures as he pulled down a spectacular mark. And from there the Cats began to lift around the ground, taking the lead as the quarter progressed and making their way to a 17-point lead at quarter time.The second term saw the Cats rise to the occasion, their midfield full of run as they set up a match-winning lead. The Bulldogs stayed in touch with the Cats as long as they could, and it was two goals apiece until the 16-minute mark. But the Cats then dominated proceedings, kicking the last six goals of the quarter to lead by 50 points at the long break.

West Coast returned to the winning list at Subiaco Oval on Saturday afternoon, but had to hang on for dear life in the final stages as a fast-finishing Gold Coast side threatened a late comeback.It was looking bad for Gold Coast early, as the Eagles started the game with a devastating burst. After 14 minutes the Eagles already had six goals on the board, the game at that stage appearing set to be a blowout. But the Suns then settled down and worked hard to repair the damage and peg back the deficit. Three late goals by the Suns reduced the margin to 24 points at quarter time; and the Suns continued to put the Eagles under pressure in the second term, but the Eagles had enough strength to win the quarter and lead by 32 points at the long break.But in the third term the game came alive and an upset began to beckon. Led by captain Gary Ablett, playing in his 200th game, the Suns lifted around the ground and the momentum began to swing their way. The Suns kicked four goals to one for the quarter, reducing the deficit to 13 points at the last change. And the surge continued in the final quarter, as the Suns kept the ball camped in their forward line for much of the first 15 minutes of the final quarter. A long bomb by Trent McKenzie cut the margin to six points, and the game was in the balance.But three minutes later, the Eagles had the ball on the forward line, where Nic Naitanui flew high to mark and kick a steadying goal. Josh Kennedy’s fourth goal a few minutes later was enough to ensure victory for the Eagles; a win that was widely expected, but which they had to fight hard to keep in the face of the spirited Gold Coast comeback.West Coast 7.3 10.6 11.7 13.7 (85)Gold Coast 3.3 5.4 9.6 10.7 (67)Goals : West Coast – J Kennedy 4, D Cox 2, M LeCras 2, N Naitanui 2, S Selwood, B Sheppard, Q Lynch. Gold Coast – G Ablett 2, Z Smith, T Lynch, S Day, M Rischitelli, J Fraser, D Prestia, T Lynch, T McKenzie.Best : West Coast – D Cox, M Priddis, S Hurn, M LeCras, S Selwood, A Smith. Gold Coast –G Ablett, Z Smith, M Rischitelli, T McKenzie, N Bock, C Brown.Injuries : West Coast - D Kerr (glute) replaced in selected side by T Swift, L Shuey (thigh). Gold Coast – Nil.Substitutions : West Coast - T Swift replaced by A Strijk in the third quarter. Gold Coast - T Hine replaced by D Prestia in the second quarter.Reports : Gold Coast - D Swallow in the first quarter for rough conduct. West Coast - J Darling in the third quarter for head high contact.Umpires - Margetts, Bowen, Wenn.Crowd - 36,815 at Patersons Stadium.

The Grand Final replay on Saturday night saw a repeat of the comprehensive Magpie dominance from last year’s October replay, with Collingwood taking control in the second half to defeat St Kilda by 57 points at the MCG.A scrappy opening quarter saw the teams score two goals apiece, the Magpies leading by three points at the first change. Brendan Goddard was in the thick of the action, picking up plenty of possession for the Saints and keeping them in the contest, as the Saints took the lead during the second quarter. But for every move the Saints made, the Magpies had the answers. Even with Dane Swan being kept quiet by the St Kilda defence, the Magpies had plenty of ball-winners; and Scott Pendlebury was in unstoppable form.Two late goals to the Magpies put them back in front at half time, holding an eight-point advantage. And the premiership quarter started brightly for the Magpies, with Chris Dawes marking and goaling in the opening minute of the third term, followed by Dane Swan casting off the St Kilda taggers for a quick-fire double to open up a substantial lead to the Magpies. Six goals to one for the quarter extended the Collingwood lead to 32 points.St Kilda had no answers to the Magpie onslaught, which continued unabated during the final quarter. The Magpies kicked five goals to one to turn the result into a blowout, more like the replay than the original of last year’s Grand Final. Dane Swan finished with four goals for the Magpies, while Scott Pendlebury’s 32 possessions and Dale Thomas’ 31 were pivotal to their dominant display in the second half.Collingwood 2.4 6.5 11.9 16.12 (108)St Kilda 2.1 5.3 6.7 7.9 (51)Goals : Collingwood – D Swan 4, T Cloke 3, C Dawes 2, S Wellingham 2, A Krakouer 2, L Brown, L Davis, J McCarthy. St Kilda – B Goddard, B Peake, S Milne, J Steven, C Jones, D Armitage, S Gilbert.Best : Collingwood – S Pendlebury, D Thomas, T Cloke, H Shaw, L Davis, S Wellingham. St Kilda – B McEvoy, B Goddard, J Gwilt, S Fisher, N Dal Santo, J Steven.Injuries : Collingwood – S Buckley replaced in selected side by T Goldsack, D Beams (ankle). St Kilda – L Montagna (knee).Substitutions : Collingwood - L Brown replaced by T Goldsack in the final quarter. St Kilda - T Simpkin replaced by T Ledger in the third quarter.Reports – Nil. Umpires - McBurney, Stewart, Meredith.Crowd - 62,991 at MCG.

Brisbane’s two-game revival was quickly and efficiently brought to an end on Saturday night at the Gabba, when Sydney took control in the first half to set up a commanding 65-point win over the Lions at the Gabba.The Swans jumped the Lions early, ensuring the Lions would always be chasing the game. The Swans attacked, keeping the ball camped on their forward line as they held the Lions to just one scoring shot in the first quarter. Some poor finishing would let the Swans down, with the Sydney side kicking 6.7 for the quarter to record a 37-point lead at the first change.The one-sided nature of the game continued in the second quarter, as the Swans kicked the first seven goals, leading by 78 points during the quarter before the Lions finally broke through for a goal after the half time siren.With the game safely won, the Swans put their cue back in the rack and the second half was a lacklustre non-event; as the Swans were content to sit on their lead while the Lions were unable to make any meaningful dent in the deficit. The Lions won the third quarter, but not by enough to inspire any hope of restoring any respectability to the scoreline, while the last quarter finished with two goals apiece.The win, along with Essendon’s loss on Friday night, sees the Swans move ahead of the Bombers into fifth position; but Brisbane’s loss keeps them stranded in the lower reaches, only percentage saving them from the bottom of the ladder.Sydney 6.7 13.8 15.9 17.14 (116)Brisbane 1.0 2.2 5.8 7.9 (51)Goals : Sydney – L Roberts-Thomson 3, A Goodes 2, M Mattner 2, B McGlynn 2, M Seaby, T Dennis-Lane, S Reid, A Johnson, R O'Keefe, J McVeigh, J Kennedy, C Bird. Brisbane – B Retzlaff 2, T Banfield 2, M Clark, S Black, J Brown.Best : Sydney – J Bolton, C Bird, M Mattner, R O’Keefe, A Goodes, J McVeigh. Brisbane – J Redden, M Leuenberger, J Polkinghorne, S Black, M Clark, J Green.Injuries : Sydney – Nil. Brisbane – Nil.Substitutions : Sydney - T Dennis-Lane replaced by A Everitt in the last quarter. Brisbane -R Bewick replaced by J O'Brien in the third quarter.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Nicholls, Kamolins, Findlay.Crowd - 22,150 at the Gabba.

The Hawthorn juggernaut rolled along as the Hawks came from behind to record a 22-point win over Fremantle at the MCG on Sunday afternoon.The Dockers started strongly with the first two goals of the game, but the Hawks fought back in the second half of the first quarter to take the lead shortly before quarter time. But the Dockers found their groove in the second term, as they kicked five goals to three, taking the lead and an 11-point advantage at the long break.The Dockers, even without ruckman Aaron Sandilands, were in imposing touch and threatened to run away with the contest in the third quarter. A quick-fire double to Stephen Hill to open the quarter put the Dockers out to a four-goal lead, and the small contingent of Fremantle fans at the ground were in voice as an upset beckoned. The Hawks began to get more of the ball later in the quarter, but were unable to make any serious impression on the scoreboard as the Dockers maintained an 18-point lead at three quarter time. And when Hill kicked his third in the opening minute of the final quarter, the Dockers looked set to cruise to victory.But the Hawks had other ideas. The Fremantle forward line was effectively shut down for the remainder of the game, and the Dockers would not score another goal for the afternoon. At the other end of the ground, Hawthorn players who had little influence in the game over the first three quarters began to accumulate possessions and make an impact on the quarter, while the Docker midfield slowed to a walk. The Hawks would kick the last eight goals of the game, turning their four-goal deficit into a four-goal win that had looked unlikely for most of the afternoon.The win was another strong performance for the Hawks; who played the game wearing specially-created strip to raise funds for the Kokoda Foundation. Cyril Rioli was the star up forward with five goals, while Sam Mitchell’s dominant final quarter saw him finish the game with 31 touches of the footy.But for the Dockers, who haven’t won at the MCG since 2007, it was a chance gone begging to break the losing streak at footy headquarters, as well as an opportunity lost to strengthen their slender grip on a place in the top eight.Hawthorn 3.4 6.5 9.8 17.9 (111)Fremantle 3.1 8.4 12.8 13.11 (89)Goals : Hawthorn - C Rioli 5, L Breust 3, S Burgoyne 2, M Osborne 2, C Young, B Whitecross, L Hodge, S Mitchell, J Roughead. Fremantle – S Hill 3, C Mayne 2, C Pearce 2, T Mzungu, M de Boer, N Fyfe, P Duffield, R Crowley, J Griffin.Best : Hawthorn – S Mitchell, J Roughead, C Rioli, M Osborne, G Birchall, L Hodge. Fremantle – G Broughton, J Griffin, S Hill, C Pearce, N Lower, N Fyfe.Injuries : Hawthorn – L Hodge (cramp). Fremantle – N Fyfe (shoulder).Substitutions : Hawthorn - J Lisle replaced by L Breust in the third quarter. Fremantle - C Pearce replaced by R Palmer in the final quarter.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Vozzo, Jennings, Pannell.Crowd - 31,925 at MCG.

On an afternoon in which Brent Harvey equalled Glenn Archer’s club record of 311 games, Harvey’s North Melbourne side returned to the winning list with a 47-point win over Adelaide at Docklands on Sunday afternoon.With Andrew Swallow picking up a swag of possession in the first term, the Kangaroos got on the front foot from the start, with two goals before the Crows got their first inside 50. The Kangaroos had winners around the ground, but suffered a setback when Jamie Macmillan was felled by friendly fire and, concussed, was subbed out of the game with less than ten minutes on the clock and without getting a touch of the ball.But the Kangaroos quickly regained their momentum, and with six goals to one for the quarter got out to a 24-point lead at quarter time. A low-scoring second term saw the Crows only able to recover one point of that deficit, with the Kangaroos looking comfortable.Drew Petrie had played effectively on the forward line, and with a mark and goal in the opening minute of the third term, his fourth goal, the Kangaroos got the premiership quarter off to the best possible start. And the Kangaroos would build on that momentum during the quarter, with five goals to two to blow the lead out to 40 points at the last change.From there, victory was assured and the final quarter was little more than a victory lap for the Kangaroos. Five goals to four won them the quarter, extending the final margin to 47 points. Todd Goldstein had dominated the ruck all day to finish with an amazing 48 hit-outs, while Andrew Swallow’s 39 possessions around the ground were pivotal to the Kangaroos’ successful day out.North Melbourne 6.1 8.3 13.5 18.7 (115)Adelaide 2.1 4.4 6.7 10.8 (68)Goals : North Melbourne – D Petrie 4, L Adams 2, A Swallow 2, B Harvey 2, L Anthony 2, A Edwards, T Goldstein, L Hansen, J Ziebell, B Speight, K Harper. Adelaide – K Tippett 3, P Dangerfield 2, J Gunston 2, R Henderson, R Sloane, S Thompson.Best : North Melbourne – T Goldstein, A Swallow, J Ziebell, L Anthony, D Petrie, B Rawlings. Adelaide – G Johncock, R Douglas, R Sloane, B Vince, K Tippett, M Jaensch.Injuries : North Melbourne – J Macmillan (fractured cheekbone), L Adams (knee). Adelaide – Nil.Substitutions : North Melbourne - J Macmillan (concussion) replaced by B Speight in the first quarter. Adelaide - J Petrenko replaced by B Symes in the third quarter.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Armstrong, Jeffery, Farmer.Crowd - 18,185 at Etihad Stadium.

Port Adelaide took the fight up to Carlton in the first half when the Power took on the Blues at AAMI Stadium on Sunday evening. But it was a different story in the second half, as the Blues took control of the contest to pull away to a comfortable 62-point win.On a wet and slippery afternoon in Adelaide, the first quarter was a shootout between key forwards at either end, with Port’s Justin Westhoff and Carlton’s Andrew Walker kicking three goals apiece for the quarter. An evenly contested first term saw the Power lead by five points at the first change; and despite the Blues’ best efforts during a low-scoring second term, the Blues still find themselves three points in arrears at the long break.The Blues lifted in the opening minutes of the third term, and goals to small forwards Jeff Garlett and Eddie Betts in the first five minutes of the quarter established a lead for Carlton. The Blues were finding winners around the ground, and with four goals to one for the quarter turned their deficit into a 16-point lead at three-quarter time.But Port Adelaide’s resistance could go no further. Several times this season the Power have been in a competitive position only to capitulate during the final quarter. And again this time, the Blues assumed complete control while several Port players who had worked so hard in the first half went missing in action. The Power were held scoreless for the quarter, while Carlton’s seven goals blew the final margin out to 62 points.Andrew Walker was the dominant forward, with a seven goal display; while Jeff Garlett also looked dangerous in the forward line to finish with four goals. Around the ground, Mitch Robinson was in unstoppable form, finishing with 34 possessions, while Marc Murphy ran up 32 and Andrew Carrazzo weighed in with 30 touches.Carlton 3.3 5.7 9.11 16.15 (111)Port Adelaide 4.2 6.4 7.7 7.7 (49)Goals : Carlton – A Walker 6, J Garlett 4, E Betts 2, D Ellard, M Robinson, M Murphy, C Yarran. Port Adelaide – J Westhoff 3, D Motlop, M Broadbent, J Schulz, T Boak.Best : Carlton – M Robinson, M Murphy, A Walker, H Scotland, K Simpson, J Garlett. Port Adelaide – T Chaplin, J Westhoff, M Broadbent, T Boak, K Cornes, D Motlop.Injuries : Carlton – M Jamison (ankle). Port Adelaide – D Brogan (finger, knee).Substitutions : Carlton - M Jamison (ankle) replaced by Z Tuohy in the third quarter. Port Adelaide - C O'Shea replaced by A Moore at three-quarter time.Reports – Nil. Umpires - Kennedy, Stevic, Ryan.Crowd - 23,192 at AAMI Stadium.